Brazilian legislators have taken a significant step towards ending the exploitation of nonhuman animals in the cosmetics industry. In July 2025, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill banning the use of live vertebrates in tests for ingredients or products related to personal hygiene, cosmetics, and perfumes. The bill also modifies existing regulations, making it illegal to use data from such exploitative tests for product authorisation, except when required by other non-cosmetic national or international laws.
As reported in a press release from the Chamber of Deputies, Representative Ruy Carneiro highlighted the urgency of moving beyond the outdated practice of animal experimentation, saying, “Maintaining animal experimentation as the dominant practice in the industry… would represent not only an ethical failure but a scientific setback as well, out of step with advances in bioethics and commitments to promoting animal welfare.” Carneiro, the bill’s rapporteur, also described the legislation as a “turning point” for the country, asserting it serves both the interests of animal advocates and the cosmetics industry.
While products tested on nonhuman vertebrates before the law comes into force will still be permitted for sale, the law’s implementation signals a decisive shift in Brazilian policy. The change will not be immediate; the bill requires presidential assent and official publication, followed by a regulatory period of up to two years to allow federal agencies to establish new protocols for alternative testing methods. Carneiro pointed to the growing viability of animal-free approaches, stating that methods such as computational models, 3D bioprinting of tissues, organoids, and cell cultures “have been consolidating themselves as reliable, ethical and often more effective tools” for guaranteeing safety.
Humane World for Animals marked the occasion as a culmination of extended campaigning, saying on social media, “This legislation is a powerful example of what’s possible when government, industry, nonprofits and the public unite for positive change.” The group credited over a decade of activism, collaborating with Chilean NGO Te Protejo, in achieving this progress.
The bill puts Brazil in line with a rising number of Latin American countries — including Chile, Mexico, and Colombia, and others such as the European Union, South Korea, New Zealand, and the US, where exploitative testing is being rejected in favour of humane science.
